Hull construction



June 9, 1942. A A DUBAY 2,285,959

HULL CONSTRUCTION Filed 001:. 10, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l A orneys June 9, 1942. A. A. DUBAY I 2,285,959 HULL coNsTRUcTIoN y Filed Oct. l0, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W l I f I I Inventor S 5*; s t//aj/ l I Y QM Q By IV I M 44# rneys Patente-d June 9, 1942 I UNITED STATE Pt'ilti'i @ENCE HULL CONSTRUCTION Alphonse A. Dubay, Van Buren, Maine Application October 10, 1939, Serial No. 298,835

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a hull construction for boats or ships and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character, wherein the water resistance to the forward travel of the hull will be greatly reduced to permit faster speeds to be obtained without increasing the horsepower of the prime mover over that now employed in hulls of the conventional construction and to reduce to a minimum the size of the waves left to astern of the hull an-d which as their size increasesl due to present-day hull construction increases the drag on the forward progress of the hull in the water, the present construction tending to cause the hull to plane with less displacement of water and utilizing a major portion of the water displaced by its weight to raise the hull and in a forward direction to aid the prime mover in the propulsion of the hull through the Water.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement oi' parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a bottomplan View illustrating a hull constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation illustrating the hull.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates the hull including the bottom 6, sides 1, a pointed bow 8 and a rounded or streamline stern 9. The bottom S is flat while the sides gradually converge toward the stern 9 from a point of the greatest width of the hull and also the sides gradually converge to the the waterline on the hull reaching its greatest depth at a line perpendicular to the forward end of parallel keels I9 formed on said bottom and lying in close proximity to the sides. The keels are parallel and have their forward ends located at approximately where the hull is of three-quarters of its total width or beam and terminate near the stern 9 in extremely close relation to the sides as will be apparent in Figure 1. The parallel keels so arranged on the flat bottom will trap therebetween the water that the hull tends to displace by its weight which trapped water has a raising effect upon the hull and in a forward direction. To facilitate the escape of the trapped water during the forward motion of the hull with the least resistance a spillway or cavity Il is formed in the bottom 6 and arranged to parallel the 1ongitudinal axis of the hull, the forward end of the spillway or cavity being located slightly rearwardly of the forward ends of the keels with the rear end of said spillway opening outwardly through the stern 9 of the hull. The spillway or cavity gradually increases in width and depth from its forward end to its rearward end which will permit the trapped .water between the keels to escape from under the hull with the least amount of resistance and drag on the hull during its forward travel in the water.

Through the use of the flat bottom, parallel spaced keels and the spillway or cavity the hull may progress through the water much closer to the surface of the water than heretofore possible with the conventional type or shape of hull and with the waves astern of the hull of a minimum size. The water trapped between the spaced parallel keels finding an escape through the spillway or cavity will rush upwardly therein thereby raising the hull in a forward direction towar-d the surface of the water and escaping at the stern substantially in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the hull to permit the propel- 1ers of the hull to obtain a more eiicient bite or traction in the water also providing for better and more economical propulsion of the hull.

It is preferable that the bottom of the hull, outwardly of the keels have a slightly higher floor level than that portion of the bottom of the hull confined between the keels which lessens the tendency of the hull to the greatest possible extent in the creating of undesirable waves to the astern of said hull.

Secured on the hull and within the spillway is a cutwater strip or plate I3, the rear end of which terminates rearwardly of the rear ends of the keels I0 and forms a mounting for a rudder I4, the latter being hinged on the strip or plate I3, as shown at I5. The portion of the plate or strip I3 projecting rearwardly of the rear ends of the keels IIJ may have an opening I'B to allow water to pass from one side of said plate or strip to the opposite side thereof. The keels I0 may form shaft logs for propeller shafts II as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3, the propellers being indicated by the character I8 and located at opposite sides of the plate or strip I3 slightly in advance of the opening I6. The forward portion of the strip or plate I3 tapers from its lower edge toward its upper edge as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2 so as to offer the least amount of resistance to water passing through the spillw way. The plate or strip I3 besides forming a mounting for the rudder also will act as an additional keel for the hull adjacent the stern there- It is believed that the foregoing description, when taken in vconnection with the drawings will fully set forth the construction and advantages of this invention to those skilled in the art to Cil which such device relates, so that further detailed description will not be required.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

In a boat construction, a hull including sides, a flat bottom, a pointed bow and a rounded stern, said hull having its greatest width forwardly of midship of said hull, parallel spaced keel members providing propeller shaft mountings secured on said bottom and located adjacent to the sides and extending from a point on said hull forwardly of the latters greatest width to a point adjacent the stern for trapping water to permit the latter to have a buoying effect on the hull for the elevation thereof with respect to the surface of the water, said bottom between said keel members formed to provide a cavity arranged in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the hull and opening outwardly through the stern thereby providing a water spillway, said cavity gradually increasing in depth and width from the forward end to the rear end thereof, and a longitudinally extending plate secured on the bottom within the cavity.

ALPHONSE A. DUBAY. 

